About Cognitive Behavior Therapy

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Cognitive behavioral therapy works with clients to understand their thoughts and feelings and how each influences their behavior. In the reading, Christopher Boone is a teenager with Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism; described by WebMD as “delays in the development of many basic skills…the ability to socialize with others, to communicate, and to use imagination” (WebMD, 2013). Handling Christopher’s temper tantrum would be a major goal for his mother Judy. Since cognitive therapy focuses on specific problems, this approach could help Christopher’s mother work on changing her behavior and thought process when dealing with Christopher’s condition. Since thoughts play a role in behavior, Christopher’s mother’s feelings of inadequacy could come from depression. In the story, Christopher equates his mother’s depression medication to helping to “stop her from feeling sad “(Haddon, 2003, p. 216). With cognitive behavioral therapy, Judy could learn to change how she deals with her son’s behavior by learning to identify and change her thought patterns. Using this type of therapy would help her reflect on her behavior and allow her to see that using the strategies provided by cognitive behavioral therapy, can help her to cope with her son’s disability in a positive, healthy, manner. Person Centered therapy provides a supportive, non-judgmental environment that places clients in control of their therapeutic process while the therapist offers positive unconditional support throughout their therapy. This approach could work for Christopher’s mother in the sense that she would be able to control the content of her therapy and work toward her personal goals of mental and emotional health. A Person Essay #3 cont. Centered approach puts the client’s point of view in the forefront and allows them to acknowledge their problems and issues, and work through
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